Food Pantry to Open in Warrenville

Feeding Northwest DuPage has partnered with Immanuel Presbyterian Church to open a new food pantry site at the church’s Ministry House in Warrenville.

An Open House will be hosted at the new pantry on Sunday, April 15, 2012 at 12:00 PM with a dedication following at 12:30 PM. The pantry officially opens to the public on April 15, 2012 at 1:00 PM.

The Warrenville Pantry’s regular hours of operation will be Thursdays 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM and Sundays 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM and is located at Immanuel Presbyterian Church, 29w260 Batavia Rd. Warrenville, IL 60555.

Feeding Northwest DuPage’s Food Pantries offer assistance that can help families in the area struggling to make ends meet. “DuPage County is one of the wealthiest counties in the United States, yet many in our county have little income or find themselves one paycheck away from financial hardship,” says Pantry Site Coordinator David Malone. There has been a 130% increase in those living at or below the poverty line in the last generation and over the past few years DuPage County has seen high rates of home foreclosures. It is becoming increasingly difficult for families to make ends meet and a growing number of individuals and families are struggling and need assistance.  As demand for assistance grows the existing food pantries in DuPage County are struggling to keep up and meet that demand.  Now the people of DuPage County will have another place to turn to for help with the new food pantry in Warrenville.

The cost of living in DuPage County is high and the resources needed to remain self-sufficient are significant. DuPage Federation director, Phil Smith, noted last fall that "A single adult and child need $22.50 per hour in wages, or a little over $4,000 monthly, to be considered self-sufficient. The figure doesn’t include any savings or discretionary spending" (Aurora Beacon-News, 11/25/2011). Over 160,000 individuals in DuPage County fall below the poverty line used by many social service agencies of 200% of Federal Poverty Line (FPL).  For a family of four, the FPL is set at $23,000 ($15,130 for a family of two) and nearly 55,000 individuals in DuPage County live on less than that.

Feeding Northwest DuPage’s mission is to effectively distribute food and emergency assistance in Northwest DuPage County through community and faith partnerships, collaborations, volunteer efforts and ongoing fundraising. Since 1999 they have provided basic foods to those who cannot otherwise afford them, as well as monetary assistance for housing, utilities, medical care/prescriptions, etc. by partnering with six (6) area churches to open food pantries. Although the new pantry is a partner with the Northern Illinois Food Bank and has access to their resources, donations of goods are always welcome. For more information please contact Pantry Site Coordinator, David Malone at 630.929.3923 or by e-mail at Warrenville.pantry@gmail.com.